Those in power have priorities askew

Francis B. Gaines

Tuesday

Feb 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 19, 2013 at 7:04 PM

How interesting. Finally, after making an off-and-on decision to erect a detention center for our criminally inclined citizens — twice as big as necessary in order to house other inmates for fees from other law enforcement agencies — the criminal justice business of our much-loved Sheriff’s department is under way.

To the editor:

How interesting. Finally, after making an off-and-on decision to erect a detention center for our criminally inclined citizens — twice as big as necessary in order to house other inmates for fees from other law enforcement agencies — the criminal justice business of our much-loved Sheriff’s department is under way.

The cost up front has been about $30 million of taxpayers’ money. What’s $30 million of tax money for a profitable jail business to jail our neighbors’ criminally inclined? Not only that, we end up with an impressive Justice Center for our law enforcement establishment.

As I see it, this means the taxpayers of Onslow County, through their elected political leadership, have violated their responsibility to spend public money for needed public services. How embarrassing.

I’m for the children and wonder how these men and women sleep at night?

Our power structure is recommending that the money the school administration is seeking for the proper education of our children should be halved; while the money for the incarceration of our neighbors’ prisoners resulted in doubling the cost of the Onslow County Justice Center.

Isn’t taking money from taxpayers to build and staff services for nonresidents of a North Carolina County a form of theft?

If it’s not, it ought to be.

Francis B. Gaines

Swansboro

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